


Mamihlapinatapei

by the_bre



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Noodle Dragons, Post-Recall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 11:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9654407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_bre/pseuds/the_bre
Summary: Mamihlapinatapei: The wordless, meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something, but are both reluctant to do so.It has been years since Jesse and Genji last saw each other, and the distance between them seems even greater than the time passed. But could the efforts of a certain spirit dragon bring them together again?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tarahana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarahana/gifts).



Sighing crossly, Jesse kept his wits about him as he walked down one of the many labyrinthine hallways within Watchpoint Gibraltar. It was bittersweet how familiar yet alien the home of the newly recalled Overwatch felt. How could he have forgotten so much? Granted it had been years, but the base had been a place to rest his head and call home for so long. He shook his head, exhaling smoke; _the old bastard would be disappointed in me. Probably say I’m gettin’ rusty, but I’m still sharp as ever,_ he mused. Taking what he hoped was the right turn; he continued to make his way to the mess hall, his stomach growling angrily. Normally he had eaten by now, but he had run into a snafu while getting ready for the day ahead. Drawing another drag of his cigarillo, he relished the sweetly burnt taste of cinnamon as it snaked its way down to his lungs, leaving a spicy sort of tingle behind. The familiar habit slowly began to soothe his nerves, though he was still rather annoyed. Good natured pranking had been commonplace in the Overwatch he remembered, but outright thievery? Now that was something he wasn’t used to dealing with; hence, the source of his frustration. While getting dressed this morning, he had discovered his beloved belt buckle was missing. 

Anyone who knew him knew he never replaced four things: his hat, his serape, Peacemaker, and his belt buckle. They were the only things he’d bothered to keep to his name all these years, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start misplacing them now.  
So that left one question: who the hell was snitching his stuff?! 

Eyes narrowed as he stepped into the mess hall at last, he vowed he would find out by the end of the day, and have a good ol’ slice of revenge pie while he was at it.  
However, he couldn’t exactly do that on an empty stomach. _Brain fuel, most important meal of the day, and all that that Angela used to lecture me about when I’d skip breakfast,_ he thought, smirking a bit to himself as he poured a mug of coffee. He left it black; even if it was a little bitter it was still much better than the shit he’d had to drink while on the run. 

Ana shot him a good natured smile, “I do hope that you will be having more than just coffee for breakfast,” she chuckled.

Jesse grinned at her, happy to see that she was here too. She was familiar territory, and a reminder that things hadn’t always been so rough and tumble for him, but it came with the sadness of knowing that his family would never be what it had once been. Yet, it was still better than what he had had during the years he’d gone out on his own. He’d had some adventures, sure, but they had been sad, lonely affairs, made fuzzy from too much bourbon and not enough sleep. He winked, “You know me, Nana; I ain’t one to miss a meal,” he joked.

Ana smirked knowingly, “Unless you were up to some sort of mischief,” she teased, handing him a plate. “It is toast, bacon, and eggs today; it should still be warm.”

Jesse tipped his hat, thankful that he at least had it still, “Thank you kindly,” he replied, carefully taking the plate. 

Ana smiled up at him, “You are welcome, Jesse. How did you sleep?” she asked, maternal as he remembered.

“Like a rock… I forgot how good it feels to stretch out on a real bed,” he sheepishly admitted, putting a couple pieces of toast and a decent amount of scrambled eggs onto his plate. He shook some pepper onto the eggs and then spread some jam on his toast before following her out to the various tables scattered about the room. “Yourself?”

“Well enough,” she warmly replied, sitting across from him with her mug of tea, having finished eating earlier. 

“Reckon that’s doin’ good for most of us,” Jesse quietly commented, earning a sad glance from Ana.

“Yes, but things will improve in time,” she gently reassured. She smiled softly, “Have you spoken to many of the others yet?” she questioned, changing the subject.

Jesse shook his head, “Just settled things with Winston and met a few of the new kids. Saw Genji earlier, but he was showing his Omnic buddy around,” he commented, trying not to think hard on the slight pang of jealousy that stirred in his stomach at that last statement. 

“Ah, that would be Zenyatta. You should introduce yourself; he seems very nice,” Ana encouraged.

Jesse shrugged, “I’ll see about it. Guy’s probably overwhelmed enough without havin’ to meet one more new person, you know?”

“Perhaps, but I think he would welcome making a friend, especially one in common with Genji,” Ana suggested.

He shot her a skeptical look as he slowly chewed a bite of toast, “Last I checked, Genji didn’t believe in makin’ friends anymore,” he tersely replied.

Ana met his gaze sadly, “…He is different now. You know as well as I do what all he went through before,” she chided.

“I know; I’m just sayin’ he might not be so keen to see me either,” he pointed out.

“You will never know until you try,” Ana reminded, looking at him over the edge of her mug.

“…Look, I’ll give it a shot when I get a chance, but after breakfast I got bigger fish to fry,” he admitted.

Ana raised a brow, knowing how much Genji had meant to Jesse before, “Oh? And what would that be?”

Jesse huffs, getting a little worked up just by thinking about it again, “Some thief done made off with my belt buckle and I ain’t gonna take that lyin’ down. I’m gonna find the son of a bitch and take back what’s mine.” he declared.

“I had wondered why you weren’t wearing it… Hopefully whoever took it is just playing a trick on you,” Ana commented, shaking her head. “The new recruits are sweet, but a bit mischievous, much like someone else when he was younger,” she chuckled.

Jesse blushed deeply, “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” he grumbled, before taking a gulp of coffee to diffuse his embarrassment.

Ana laughed, ruffling his hair gently as she stood up; he had sat his hat in between them on the table while he ate, “I wish you the best of luck. Let me know how the search goes, and I will keep an eye out as well,” she promised, and he nodded, swallowing the eggs he had been chewing.

“Thank you,” he replied, grateful.

She smiled, “You are always welcome.” she assured, before leaving to officially start her day.

Jesse continued to eat, wondering which of the new kids was most likely to have taken his belt buckle. _Maybe Lucio or Hana? Heh, or Lena; she always was a firecracker,_ he ruminated. Suddenly, another tray appeared in front of his own, shaking him from his thoughts as he looked up to greet the newcomer, only to be stunned into silence as his gaze met with the gentle green glow of Genji’s visor. 

A soft mechanical chuckle echoed from underneath, “Has a… What did you always use to say? ‘Cat got your tongue?’” he teased, and somehow Jesse could still tell he was smiling after all these years. “…Would it be all right if I joined you?” he added.

“You eat now?” Jesse blurted, when he had really meant to say yes.

Genji’s fingers curled tightly, but he fought down the old angry edge that came with the sense of not belonging, “…I have always eaten, just rarely in front of others… But I have come to terms with what and who I am now…” he quietly remarked, thinking of leaving.

Jesse paled slightly, “Hey… I’m sorry. You just caught me off guard is all. Go right on ahead and sit down,” he quickly replied, trying to take amends. He felt terrible, but Genji had never eaten that he remembered back during the old days. 

Slowly uncurling his fingers, Genji warily sat down across from Jesse, exhaling the last bit of tension out with shaking breath. He cautiously reached up behind his ears and began to undo his visor, “…I hope you do not mind,” he softly said.

Jesse shook his head, “I don’t mind at all… And it’s just us here, so no need to be shy,” he answered, trying hard to make up for his blunder. He saw the tension in Genji’s shoulders ease subtly. _All this is probably different for him too,_ he realized. After all, the last time Genji had been here, he had been in use as a living weapon. Forged to take down the very family who had broken him to the point where he even could be constructed into something else. Now, even though things were far from perfect, they hadn’t quite reached the pitch of chaos and urgency from those times. The Genji he remembered had been burning within the inferno of his own anger, resentment, and fear, but the person sitting across from him now seemed _happy_ , or at least cheerful. What on earth had he been doing all these years? As he finished off his toast, he thought of how to bring it up without making a further ass of himself. 

Genji smiled at him shyly, his smile a bit crooked thanks to a scar on his lip, and Jesse took in the stark contrast to any other time he’d seen his face in the past. Usually it was on a medical transport with the cyborg unconscious as Angela worked to heal him. He smiled back warmly, “It’s nice to see ya again. You seem like the past few years have treated you well,” he commented, ignoring the stupid butterflies swarming around in his stomach. He thought that after all these years any crush he might have had on the ninja would have faded, but love works in strange ways he guessed. Genji nodded, still seeming shy but also wrapped in a self confidence that hadn’t been there in the past.  
“I found a teacher while I was away; Zenyatta, I am sure you have seen him around by now. He has been enjoying exploring the watchpoint,” Genji explained, his smile growing fonder. “…I have become whole again, no longer obsessed with obtaining retribution.” he quietly added. 

Jesse smiled, though he felt a stab of jealousy at the warmth in Genji’s voice at the mention of his Omnic teacher, but he quickly simmered it down. Zenyatta had helped Genji find peace, if they were a thing, then what right did he have to be so selfish by being jealous? “That’s great! I’m happy to hear that,” he sincerely replied. “You deserved to get away from all that mess,” he continued.

Genji smiled softly over the rim of his mug, “Thank you, Jesse. …How have you been?” he asked, though he knew somewhat from various news pieces and articles.

Jesse shrugged with a slight smirk, “About as you’d expect, drifting from place to place, gettin’ into more of my fair share of trouble. Some of it actually my fault,” he chuckled.

Genji’s smile flickered into a grin, “You always did have a knack for getting yourself into trouble,” he admitted. The dragon on his shoulder shot Jesse a knowing look; how something so small could look so smug, he didn’t know. 

“Yeah, I can assure you that didn’t go away,” he laughed, reaching over to offer some bacon to the dragon, who skittered backwards like a shy cat.

“Oh, thank you, but he does not need to eat. He is a spirit, essentially,” Genji explained, but his tone was grateful at the kindness shown.

“Oh, ain’t no trouble at all. You want some?”

Genji blushed slightly in embarrassment, “I gave up eating meat in Nepal, but thank you! Besides, you should have it; I do not imagine that being on the run allows for many decent meals,” he gently prompted, hoping the concern in his voice was masked.

“I made due,” Jesse replied with a shrug, but finished off his plate nonetheless. 

Genji was finishing up as well; he could still eat but the taste was typically washed out and bland, so it was often hard for him to patiently savor his meals as he should. Standing up with a stretch, he offered Jesse a hand, “What is on your agenda for today?” he questioned.

Jesse sighed, “Finding out who made off with my belt buckle. I think one of the kids stole it as some kind of joke,” he admitted, taking Genji’s hand carefully with his flesh one.

Genji shook his head, sighing softly as he pulled Jesse to his feet, “That sounds like something I might have done at their age,” he admitted, smirking. “But I am sorry they made you their victim,” he added, beginning to put his visor back on after Jesse was standing.

Jesse raised an eyebrow at him, “You never cease to surprise, Genji,” he chuckled, wishing the other felt comfortable enough in his own skin to leave the visor off, but he supposed what glimpse he had gotten was a huge improvement compared to before.

Genji laughed, finishing up replacing his visor, “Well, I would be boring otherwise,” he joked, and Jesse could hear the smile in his voice. “Let me know if you require assistance in tracking down the culprit. Also, would you like to catch up later today? Should you find your belt buckle, I mean…” he asked.

Jesse ignored the stupid flutter in his heart and nodded, “Yeah, that’d be real nice. When were you thinking?”

“Tonight? Around 19:00? You are welcome to come to my quarters,” Genji offered.

“Much obliged. I’ll bring some dinner, if you don’t mind eatin’ that late.”

“I do not mind at all. Thank you. I will see you tonight,” Genji happily responded, waving once over his shoulder as he walked off to wash his dishes, taking Jesse’s with him as well.

Jesse turned to pick his up, planning to wash them, but frowned at their absence, “…Thank ya kindly!” he called out to Genji, realizing what the cyborg had done.

Genji grinned to himself, pretending not to hear as he disappeared into the kitchen.  
Ignoring the warmth settling in his chest, Jesse turned towards the door, trying to put tonight into the back of his head. After all, he needed to focus on finding his belt buckle for now. But who should he start with? He walked down the hallway, trying to decide, when he almost bumped into Lena. “Oh, uh, beg your pardon, Lena. Guess I spaced out there,” he admitted, shooting her a smile.

“No worries, Jesse! How are you, love?” she asked, smiling up at him. “I’m so happy you’re here! I really missed you, you know!!” she cheered, and he tried not to chuckle at the enthusiasm in her voice. 

“You’d be one of the few,” Jesse joked and she huffed at him. 

“Oh, come off it! We’ve all missed you, and you know it.”

Jesse grinned, “That so?”

Lena stood on her tiptoes to poke his nose, “Of course! Especially you know who~” she teased.

Jesse raised an eyebrow, curious, “Uh… ‘Fraid I don’t?” he admitted.

Lena smirked, “Are you sure? I know it’s been awhile but I thought for sure you’d remember!” she teased.

Jesse frowned softly, “You talkin’ ‘bout, Genji? I saw him earlier. He was friendly, but I wouldn’t say he was over the moon,” he commented, confused.

Lena smiled, “But he seemed happy, didn’t he?”

“Well, you got me there,” Jesse drawled, trying not to read into it too hard.  
The last time he’d made that mistake, he’d woken up alone with his heart in about a million pieces. In hindsight, he should have known that Genji was too raw and angry for what had happened to be anything meaningful, but now Lena was acting like he had actually missed him. That in turn could mean that it hadn’t been so meaningless after all; however, if that was the case…then it made the distance between them from the passing of years feel even larger. If he cared, why didn’t he say so? Why had he left him high and dry, wondering if life was always going to leave him feeling used? He swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of that rabbit trail of thought, “I guess that would be thanks to Zenyatta; I’m glad for him.”

Lena nodded, “He’s certainly a lot perkier now, isn’t he? It’s different but I rather like it.”

“Yeah… I reckon I do too. Hey, uh, this a little off topic, but have you seen my belt buckle? It’s gone missing… I was thinking maybe someone’s pulling a fast one on me,” he admitted, giving her a pointed look.

Lena laughed, “That would be funny, but no, I didn’t take it. How would I? It’s always on you, and I didn’t sneak in while you were sleeping. That’d be weird,” she replied.

Jesse looked sheepish, “I suppose you’re right, and I’m a light sleeper anyways… I would’ve heard you…” he trailed off, sighing. “I’d have heard anyone else too…” he realized. “Well, shit… Maybe I am getting touched in the head and misplaced it…”

Lena smiled gently, “Hey… You’re probably just tired. You haven’t been able to get proper rest in years… Exhaustion is a thing, you know,” she soothed.

“I suppose, just hard to admit that it catches up to me a lot faster than it used to… But it ain’t the years, it’s the living, I suppose,” Jesse admitted with a halfhearted smile. “Sorry, I ain’t trying to be a downer… What are you up to today?” he quickly deflected, hoping he hadn’t soured the mood.

Lena hesitated, wanting to make sure he was okay, but took the bait anyway; she knew that if he didn’t want to talk, then no one could make him do so. “Winston’s sending me with Ana to try to bring Commander Morrison on board!” she shared. “He’s been staying with Ana for the past few months. She says he wants to join deep down, but is being stubborn.”

“Heh, well, I wish you the best of luck. Knowing how he can be, hopefully he won’t put up much of a fight for once,” Jesse replied, grinning slightly.

“Thanks! We may need it, though Ana thinks it won’t be too bad- Oh, I better go! The transport should be ready by now. Good luck with finding your belt buckle!” she quickly blurted, before disappearing.

“Thanks,” Jesse chuckled, knowing he was talking to an empty room. He lit up another cigarillo, pondering over his current dilemma; well, _dilemmas_ if he was honest with himself. There was still the matter of his belt buckle, but now also the fact that Genji had apparently missed him? And either he had told Lena, or something in his behavior had made it painfully obvious… Exhaling smoke, he shook his head; what a fine mess today was turning out to be. He stormed off to the shooting range, serape swirling behind him. Maybe some quality time with Peacemaker would soothe his nerves?

 

Blowing another round through several training bots, Jesse smirked in triumph. Rolling to avoid one of their shots, his fingers shook slightly as he reloaded Peacemaker while getting back on his feet. He had been at it for almost two hours, sweat sticking his bangs to his forehead even with the aid of his hat. Taking out the last of the bots with practiced precision, he chuckled as he called out, “I’m done for today, Athena.” 

“Very well, Agent McCree, would you care to see your stats?”

“Nah, I got a pretty good idea, but thanks,” he answered, holstering Peacemaker and reaching into his pocket for a bandana. The sweat sliding down his face was starting to itch irritatingly; he frowned as his fingers found nothing but empty pocket, “What in blazes?” he muttered, looking around the training ground. Had it fallen out during the fray? Spotting no familiar red amongst the grey metal, he raised an eyebrow; it wasn’t as important as his belt buckle by a long shot, but to lose two things in one day…? That wasn’t like him at all, exhaustion or no. 

Hearing a scuttling, he whipped around, only to see Genji’s dragon freeze up mid-escape. “What are you doing out here? Genji watching the gun show?” he quipped, stepping closer. The dragon curled up tightly on the spot he was on, flicking his tongue up at Jesse nonchalantly. “Genji? Come on out now!” he called, crossing his arms. 

Udon flicked his tongue at him again, his eyes glinting mischievously, “Udon done gave you away!” Jesse called again, getting irritated. “I know you’re a ninja, but this is annoying!” he shouted, looking around for where he could be hiding. 

As he looked around, Udon began to slowly sneak away, doing his best to muffle the sound of his claws as he made off with his loot: a red and gold bandana. Making his way towards Genji’s room, he huffed indignantly as he was scooped up by his charge. “What are you up to…?” Genji chuckled, holding him close. He raised an eyebrow as he spotted the bandana, “And what are you doing with this?” he questioned, trying to place where he had seen it before, but before he could deliberate further, Jesse slid to a stop in front of him.  
“Come back here, you little liz- Ah, ha! I knew you were hidin’ out. What took you so damn long?!” he snarled, glaring down at Genji.

Genji frowned, “What are you talking about?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“You damn well know what I’m- Didn’t want to get caught red handed, is that it?” Jesse snapped, snatching the bandana.

“Jesse, please… I literally just found Udon with this and was trying to return-“

“Oh yeah? What would he want with a piece of cloth?! Thought dragons hoarded gold or some shit?! Or maybe someone put him up to it?” Jesse objected, suspicious. “Don’t toy with me.” he warned. Trying to reconcile what had happened with Genji before with what was happening now had left him feeling played, and it made his blood burn.

“Why would I tell him to steal your bandana?!” Genji shot back, hands clenching into fists by his sides. “I am many things, but a thief is not one of them!”

“You tell me. You sure didn’t have any problems takin’ whatever you wanted in the past,” Jesse snapped, but the sudden gasp he heard from behind Genji’s visor took all of the pleasure out of the hurtful words.

“I see… Is that how you feel?” Genji asked, dangerously calm. 

“Maybe it is!” Jesse fired back, knowing he should back off but he was too upset to listen. “You been real friendly for someone who fucked me and left me,” he threw in before he could stop himself. The raw hurt and anger was welling back up with renewed vigor after years of being repressed. 

Genji took a step back, tension rolling off him so thickly that Jesse could almost taste it in the air as he gave him a seething look, daring, or rather hoping, to hear that he was wrong. “I was different then… And I have worked hard to become the man I am today,” the cyborg began, his tone faltering as he tried to defend himself. “But that does not mean I am unaware of the mistakes I made in the past.”

“So I was just a mistake to you, that it?” Jesse spat back, fresh hurt all but squeezing the words out of his throat. He saw Genji shift subtly; giving away that he had flinched.

“What?! No, that is not it at all!” he objected, looking like he wanted to step closer but was holding himself back. 

“Then what is it?! You just like messing with people?” he snapped.

“If you would give me a moment, maybe I could explain myself!” Genji shouted, anger returning.

“Give you a minute to come up with a lie, you mean?” Jesse accused.

“Perhaps _this_ was a mistake.” Genji hissed, turning on his heel to go. 

“You gonna just run away again?” Jesse called after him, and then suddenly he was on the floor, blocking punches from cybernetic fists as Udon chittered angrily in between them, trying to push Genji back. “You oughta listen to your reptile buddy! He knows I’m a second away from whipping your ass!” Jesse ground out, rolling them over to have the upper hand. He clenched his metallic fist and punched it deep into the tile by Genji’s head, chest heaving as the flooring cracked beneath the force of the hit. “You got two seconds to either get out of my sight or come up with a damn good explanation of whatever the hell is going on here.” he threatened, holding Genji’s arms down by his sides and leveling a scorching glare at his visor. He felt Genji shake with rage beneath him at being trapped, quiet Japanese curses hissed out from beneath his visor. 

“You are hurting me…” Genji spat out, trying to move his arms.

“Well, I ain’t mighty keen on being hit by you, so I guess you’re just going to have to deal with it, princess,” Jesse shot back. “Clock’s ticking,” he added.

Genji sighed heavily, “I… I did not mean to hurt you as I have… When I saw you at breakfast this morning, I thought you had forgotten what had passed between us,” he began, sounding guilty. “I did not want to dredge up the past if you had moved on,” he confessed. 

Jesse slowly began to ease his grip on the other man’s arms, feeling a little bad for using so much force. His heart rose up to his throat and he swallowed hard, “I’m listenin’,” he prompted when Genji started to grow silent.

“It was not my intention to hurt you when I left… I was so full of pain and rage, Jesse, and I was so very tired of carrying the weight of it… I had no idea that what happened meant as much to you as it did me… I misjudged you. I told myself there was no way that someone like you had any interest in someone as broken as myself. I was once a playboy, back before when I lived in Hanamura, and so I thought that was all it was to you… Two people filling a need, with no strings attached. I left thinking it would be better to spare myself the pain of wanting something I could not have, and to spare you the annoyance of my anger and self-destruction…” he slowly admitted, his breath hitching slightly at the last part.

Jesse carefully moved off him and pulled Genji up to sit in front of him, “…Wish you had told me all this then, but I get that we weren’t in a place where you felt you could… I should’ve fessed up too, and then maybe we could’ve avoided all this,” he confessed, wishing he could see the other’s face. “Darlin’, I should’ve told you what you meant, instead of just taking what little I thought I could have…”

Genji shakily stroked Udon, who was curled up in his arms, “What do you mean…?” he asked.

Jesse swallowed nervously, afraid of opening up only to be left again, “…I’m sayin’ I was fond of you back then…and still am now, despite how all this looks,” he awkwardly shared, fiddling with his lighter.

Genji stared silently for a few moments, trying to take everything in, “I was, and am, fond of you as well, Jesse… Though tackling you to the ground was a poor way to show it,” he replied, shoulders slumping slightly. 

They both sat silently for a moment, collecting themselves and letting the other’s words wash over them, as well as everything they had both tried so hard to repress.  
Udon slithered out of Genji’s arms, while he was distracted by his thoughts, and then carefully flew into his shoulder, knocking him into Jesse, who almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. 

Genji gasped softly, “I am sorry,” he blurted, starting to move away, but was stopped when Jesse gently moved him closer by wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

“Hush now, it’s okay… I’m sorry for blowing up. …It seems like this talk was a long time comin’ though,” Jesse replied.

Genji nodded once, minutely relaxing into the embrace, “I am sorry we did not have it sooner…”

“Me too, honey… Me too…” Jesse sorrowfully admitted. “But I’m sure as hell glad to be havin’ it now. Better late than never, huh?” he asked, conjuring a small smile.

“Heh, I suppose so…” Genji replied, swallowing hard. “…You said you are still fond of me?” he questioned, skeptical.

Jesse nodded, “Try as I might, I just can’t quit you.”

Something between a snicker and a sob came from Genji, “Despite what I did…? What I am?” he questioned.

“I ain’t gonna lie and tell you what happened was okay, but I get why it happened now, and I understand… We were both kinda to blame there,” Jesse admitted. “As for who you are though, I’ve always thought you were wonderful, and that’s still the case now… I’m really proud of and happy for you getting to where you’re at today… I know it couldn’t have been easy, but…it makes me real happy to see you smilin’. Almost choked on my toast this mornin’ because of how beautiful you were,” he bashfully confessed. 

Genji shook his head, “You are too kind-“

“Ain’t nothing but the truth, cross my heart,” Jesse vowed, still wishing he could see Genji’s face. “…Can I see you?” he asked, heart beating a bit faster. What if asking was a mistake?

Genji seemed surprised, “You actually want to…?”

“Of course,” Jesse assured, smiling softly.

Genji shakily reached up and undid his visor, laying it on the floor carefully. His golden brown eyes were red rimmed from tears.

“Is it okay if I touch you there…?” Jesse quietly asked, not wanting to push his boundaries.

Genji nodded once, meeting his gaze anxiously; he felt stripped bare. It was one thing to remove his visor while they were calm and eating breakfast, but this was an entirely new level of challenging. He takes a shaky deep breath, trying not to feel the panic tightening his chest.

Jesse tenderly rested his flesh hand on one of his scarred cheeks, brushing tears away carefully with his thumb, “You’re the handsomest thing I’ve ever seen,” he reassures, knowing that even though he was more at peace with himself, that didn’t mean that Genji was totally comfortable with the way he was. “And I mean that too.”

Genji gave him a weak smile, seeming skeptical but there was a hope to his gaze as he leaned into Jesse’s touch, “I have missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you too, but I ain’t goin’ anywhere now,” Jesse vowed.

“…I am not either, and I will do my best to show you that you can believe in those words,” Genji swore, meeting his gaze determinedly.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Jesse pledged. 

“Good,” Genji replied, chuckling weakly. 

Taking a quick deep breath to steel his nerves, he leaned in closer to swiftly steal a kiss from Jesse’s lips.

Jesse’s eyes widened in surprise before closing a little as he enjoyed the kiss, or what little there was of it; it had ended far too soon for his tastes, “Say….Why don’t we take this somewhere a little more private? I doubt anyone coming to train wants to see us makin’ up,” he suggested, smiling a little.

Genji nodded once in agreement, starting to get to his feet, but Jesse stopped him by scooping him into his arms, “I got you. Yours or mine?” he asked.

“Mine is fine,” Genji answered, holding onto him. “After all, I invited you earlier.”

“I reckon so, but it ain’t seven and I haven’t gotten us anything to eat,” Jesse teased.

“That is fine, both of us have always been rule breakers,” Genji answered with a small laugh, reaching out to punch in his access code when they got to his door.

The door slid open silently and as Jesse stepped inside, he was a bit astonished at the differences between Genji’s room now compared with the Spartan room of the past. Of course, this room was far from the being the height of luxury, as Genji did not own very much either, but it had a cozy aura to it that the former had lacked. As he settled them down on the sofa, he shot Genji a smile, “I like the new place.” 

Genji snuggled up into his arms, “Thank you. It is not much but it is mine, and I am happy here,” he admitted. 

Jesse planted a few kisses along his jaw, “I’m pretty happy here too, if I do say so,” he replied, his stomach fluttering at the pleased sigh that escaped Genji’s lips as he relaxed from the affection. 

“I am glad I could b-be a good host,” Genji answered, breath hitching as Jesse’s kisses reached to the spot just behind his ear.

Jesse grinned, “Bet you’d be an even better boyfriend,” he commented.

“I would be honored to give it a try,” Genji confessed, leaning back and carefully pulling Jesse on top of him. He winced suddenly, a quiet swear escaping his lips.  
Jesse raised an eyebrow; smirking as he readied a comment, but Genji shook his head, silencing him, “Something is digging into my back…” he explained, and Jesse pulled back a bit so Genji could lean up to remove whatever it was. They both stared, perplexed, as Genji held out Jesse’s belt buckle, going a bit pale, “I swear I did not take this,” he quickly said, worried that they would get into another fight when things were going so well.

“Then how’d it get here…?” Jesse asked, taking it out of Genji’s offering palm.

Genji shrugged, “I am not- Udon!” he suddenly declared with a groan. “I bet he was the one who took it, just as he was doing with your bandana earlier… It seems as if he has been starting a hoard,” he continued, frowning slightly at Udon, who was giving them both a smug look. “…Perhaps in an effort to draw you here… He could have made himself unseen earlier in the training hall, after all, but he did not.”

Jesse quirked an eyebrow, “Draw me here?” he drawled. “But why…?”

Genji’s cheeks flushed, “…We are connected… He must have known about my feelings for you…”

Jesse grinned, “So he was playin’ some kind of matchmaker, huh? Well, if that ain’t the sweetest thing…even though the way he went about it was pretty infuriating,” he chuckled.

Genji cracked a smile as well, “I am sorry for how he went about it, but I am glad that it brought us to this moment,” he confessed, pulling Jesse close again.

Jesse stole a few more kisses, before reaching over and carefully trying on of his bandanas around Udon’s neck, “I am too, and he can have all the bandanas he wants as far as I’m concerned…” he declared, wrapping his arms around Genji and squeezing him tightly.

Genji laughed, “He will only keep stealing your things if you reward him.”

Jesse smirked, “Well then, I guess you’ll have to let me see you again so I can get ‘em back, won’t you?” he suggested, winking.

“Ha, you are quite a charmer,” Genji teased, sneaking in a few kisses as well. “I suppose as my boyfriend you are allowed special privileges,” he added. 

“Well, that settles it then,” Jesse purred, still holding him close. 

Genji smirked, “Yes, now I believe we have much catching up to do,” he observed, setting Jesse’s hat aside so he could run a hand through his damp hair.

Jesse hummed appreciatively, “Suppose so,” he confirmed, moving closer to give Genji a proper kiss.

Udon chittered in triumph, sneaking off with his new bandana, as well as Jesse’s hat; he figured the two would be too busy for a while for either of them to notice it was missing. Flipping the hat over, he crawled into it and curled up contentedly, figuring he deserved a nap after all of his hard work.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, tarahana! I hope it is a wonderful one!  
> Also, I hope reading this fic is as fun for you as writing it was for me!  
> I had such a blast! Thank you for such an amazing prompt. <3


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